Governing device for explosive-engines.



No. 673,| 38. Patented Apr. 30, IBM.

A c. A. MILLER.

GOVERNING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application filed Nov. 26, 1898.

- 3 Shuts-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. a73,|ss. Patented Apr. '30. mm. c. A. MILLER. GOVERNING DEVICE FOREXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application filed Nov. 26, 1898.) mo Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3,.

nomus PETERS 00.. morau'moq WASHINGTON, u. c

OHARLE$ A. MILLER, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

GOVERNING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSlVE-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 673,138, dated April 30,1901. Application filed November 26, 1898. serial No. 697,571. (Nomodel.)

To ntZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. MILLER, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gas-engines,and particularlyrelates to means for applying an explosive mixture of uniform qualityand regulating the quantity thereof to the Work to be performed, andthus securing a uniform speed of the engine.

My invention consists of the various constructions and combinations ofparts hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view, somewhat in thenature of a diagram, showing the manner of connecting up my invention.Fig. 2 is a detail view of a centrifugal governor, whereby the speed ofengine is controlled under great variations of load. Fig. 3 is asectional view of the governor proper. Fig. 4 is a detail view, partlyin section, of the same, showing a modification. Fig. 5 is a detail viewof the adjusting device for the governor. Fig. 6 is a' detail view insection of a regulator used for determining the pressure of gas, andtherefore the proper quality of the explosive mixture. Fig. 7 is adetail view of the same.

Like parts are represented by similar letters of reference in theseveral views.

My invention is capable of use with gas-engines of various difierentforms and types;

but I have illustrated in Fig. 1 a two-cylinder engine of; thehorizontal type, only so much thereof, however, being shown as isnecessary, and in this view a. a represent the cylinders of agas-engine, and a a the piston-" rods. a is a rotating shaft, whichreceives its motion from the moving parts of the engine and is providedwith a cam a which, through a connecting-rod a, is adapted to furnishpower to an air-pump a The gas to produce the explosive mixture isconveyed to the engine through a pipe b, which pipe leads directly tothe governor c and is connected with the same at o, as shown in detailin Fig. 3. The air to form the explosive mixture enters the governor atthe bottom at c and passes into the chamber a the gas being adapted topass up through the central opening The chambers 0 and c are normallyclosed at the top by a checkvalve 0 which when opened admits the air andgas to the mixing-chamber 0 At the top of the mixing-chamber c is avalve-seat c and there is arranged above this valveseat a valve 0 whichis fastened to a valvestem 0 This valve-stem 0 passes into a cylinder 0at one end of the governor, and in this cylinder there is fitted apiston c. The valve-stem c is preferably extende I so as to form a guidefor the check-valve 0 which is adapted to move up and down. looselythereon. The governor-valve c is normally held open by a spring 0 whichalso tends to hold the piston at or near the end of the cylinder 0 Theend of the cylinder 0 is open to the atmosphere, preferably throughopenings 0 so that the atmospheric pressure is against the piston.Leading from the cylinder and on the opposite side of the piston fromthat which is open to the atmosphere is an opening or port 0 which isconnected to a pipe 0 which leads to the pump a Located within the pipe0 is an adj usting-valve device a which has a small portc leading fromthe atmosphere to the interior of said pipe, said port being adapted tobe closed by an adjustable valve 0 which is preferably screw-threadedwith threads of small pitch to secure the necessary and delicateadjustment. The pump of, running at the usual speed of the engine, has atendency to exhaust the air from the cylinder and as the air isexhausted therefrom the atmospheric pressure acting on the piston willtend to close the valve 0 The pump, however, is intended to Work all thetime at a uniform speed, and consequently to pump a uniform quantity ofair. The valve 0 is therefore opened sufficiently to supply the air thuspumped, so as to keep a uniform degree of exhaustion in the cylinderwhich will result in the opening of the valve 0 to the proper degree toadmit the charge; In case the pump slackens its speed the degree ofexhaustion in the cylinder will be less and the spring will have atendency to open the valve, and thus increase the speed of the engine.As the speed comes to the normal the valve will remain in its newposition, as the exhaustion of the cylinder will continue to be normal;but in case it becomes greater or less the atmospheric pressure on thepiston will change the location of the valve to compensate for thischange in speed.

ordinarily admitted at a higher pressure than.

the atmosphere and as this pressure is more or less variablethrottling-governors have been successful only to a degree, as theaction of the piston in taking in the charge and the variation in thepressure of the gas will make adecided difference in the quality of themixture,

- and therefore in the explosion resulting therefrom. To overcome this,I employ in connection with the governor a regulator or gasometer, whichis shown in Fig. 6, by the use of which the gas is reduced to theatmospheric pressure and maintained at this pressure under allconditions of use. This is accomplished as shown in Fig. 6, in which disa reservoir, which is partly filled with liquid, preferably oil. d is aninverted reservoir, which is closed at the top and immersed at thebottom into the oil. d is a gas-supply pipe, which enters thevalve-chamber d and from thence through a T connection 01 and astandpipe d into the reservoir d. From the other end of the T connection01 leads the enginesupply pipe I). The reservoir dis pivoted at the topto a lever d fulcrumed at (1 and to this lever is connected thevalve-stem d of the valve (1 which is located in the valve-chamber d andis arranged to open and close the supply-opening d. The lever d isprovided with a weight d or a spring 01, or both, and by means of thisweight or spring or the joint use thereof the reservoir d is accuratelybal-' anced. In the normal condition the reservoir will be filled withoil and with the top of the stand-pipe at the top of the reservoir, inwhich position the valve (1 will be open and the gas admitted throughthe pipe (1 will pass into the reservoir and raise the same. Thereservoir being perfectly balanced, the air therein will be atatmospheric pressure. As the reservoir rises the valve is closed, andwhen the reservoir is filled to the proper extent the valve will beentirely closed and the supply cut off. When in usein connection withthe engine the supply-gas is drawn through the pipe I), and the momentthe' amount of'gas is reduced in the reservoir the reservoir, owing tothe atmospheric pressure, will descend, thus opening the valve (1 acorresponding amount. So long as the supply to the engine is uniform thevalve will remain in position to maintain it. If the supply required forthe engine should be less, the gas will go into the reservoir and thepressure close the valve,

the cylinder. reached, the exhaustion is such as to move and, on thecontrary, if more the valve will open more, so that by this arrangementthe gas, as well as the air, is maintained at the uniform pressure.

When the spring d is employed, it is pref erably connected by ascrew-threaded rod (1 having an adjusting-nut (1 by which the tension ofthe spring may be accurately adjusted. The weight (Z maybe sliding onthe lever d and adapted to be held in any suitable position ofadjustment by the set-screw (Z In Fig. ll have shown a modification ofthe operating parts of the governor. In this construction the spring 0is dispensed with, the valve 0 being adapted to open by gravity, theweight of the piston 0 and the weight of the valve being made sufficientfor this purpose. The atmospheric opening to the cylinder is placedbelow the piston, and the pump-opening 0, through which the exhaust isobtained, is placed above the piston. The governing-valve c is in thenature of a cylinder valve or gate, the valve seat being placed abovethe valve, so that an upward movement of the valve closes and a downwardmovement opens. The operation, however, is the same, except that, asbefore stated, the valve is opened by gravity instead of by theoperation of a spring, the closing of the valve being efiected byatmospheric pressure, as in the case above described.

Where an exceptionally-heavy load may be thrown onto the engine and asudden drop in the speed result therefrom, it is desirable that a rapidfilling of the vacuum side of the piston be accomplished, and to providefor same I employ, in combination with the atmospheric governor,hereinbefore described, a' centrifugal governor e, having a valve c,adapted to normally close an opening 3 which leads to the pipe 0 So longas the speed of the engine is uniform the centrifugal governor holds thevalve 6 over the port-e but in case of a'sudden drop in the speed thevalve e moves away from the port and allows theair to enter rapidly intothe pipe o -and thence into the vacuum side of the piston 0 thusbringing the same to the atmospheric pressure and permitting thegovernor-valve to open to its fullest extent, the port 6 beingimmediately closed as soon as theengine approaches its normal speed,whileZYthe slight fluctuation in the speed will be governed wholly bythe atmospheric governor operated by the pump, as before described.

A brief description of the operation is as follows: The engine being atrest, the air enters through the con trollin g-valve 0 and fills thecylinder 0 which brings the piston in the normal position, (shown inFig. 3,) and as the engine is started power is communicated to the pumpand it begins to exhaust air from When the normal speed is the pistonand partially close thegoverningvalve,so as to regulate the speed. Thecharge is drawn into the engine by the action of the engine-piston,which raises the check-valve c and admits the air and gas at an equalpressure, and by reason of the relative sizes of the air and gasopenings produces the proper explosive mixture. The change in the speedof the engine results in the change of the speed of the pump, whichresults in the change of the degree of exhaustion of the cylinder 0which results in a position of the valve which increases or decreasesthe amount of the explosive gas at each stroke, which is proportionateto the load of the engine.

The centrifugal governor, as before described, admits the air quickly tothe cylinder, so as to produce a quick movement of the governing-valvein the event of a sudden drop in the speed of the engine.

Having thus described my. invention, I claim 1. In combination with athrottling-governor having independent air and gas supply inlets, saidair-supply leading to the atmosphere, a fluid-reservoir connected withsaid gas-supply inlet, a pivoted lever and a valvechamber with its valvein said gas-supply inlet, an inverted reservoir fitting into saidfluid-reservoir and connected by said pivoted lever to said valve, andmeans for balancing said inverted reservoir so as to maintain a supplyof gas in said inlet at atmospheric pressure, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

2. The combination with an explosive-engine of a governor-valve forcontrolling the admission of the explosive and air, a vacuumpump, apiston connected to the governorvalve one side of which is open to theatmosphere and the other side connected to the vacuum-pump whereby theair is exhausted more or less from the vacuum side of said piston; and acentrifugal governor with valve for permitting air to enter rapidly intothe vacuum side of said governor-valve piston for correcting any greatchange in speed of engine; and a fluid-reservoir, the gas-supply inletconnected to same, a pivoted lever and valve-chamber with its valve insaid gas-supply inlet, an inverted reservoir fitting into saidfluid-reservoir and connected by said pivoted lever to said valve, andmeans for balancing said inverted reservoir so as to maintain theexplosive in said inlet at atmospheric pressure, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day ofNovember, A. D. 1898.

CHARLES A. MILLER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. I. WELCH, EARL WELCH.

